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Author	Topic: Favorite Score of John Williams

Aaron Collins Oscar® Winner	Hello everyone! I like to hear what everyone thinks is John Williams best representation of his scores? I would like to do this for most of the composers and here what everyone has to say. I know this is a tough question and I am sure everyone has many, but if you do rank them. Mine are: 1. Hook 2. Empire Strikes Back 3. Schindler's List 4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 5. Empire of the Sun 6. ET 7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 8. The Phantom Menace 9. Jurassic Park 10. Far and Away NP: Disasters!
posted 06-02-1999 08:17 AM PT (US)

Dan Brecher Oscar® Winner	Hmmmmmm, tough one. Ones that stand out as faves to me though remain ET, Raiders (extended versions), Schindlers List, Empire Strikes Back (full release) and Phantom Menace (as heard in movie and computer game, not so much the CD release). Other faves up there include Amistad and Far & Away. Dan (UK) NP: Tarzan (Phil Collins/Mark Mancina)
posted 06-02-1999 09:10 AM PT (US)

Matt Oscar® Winner	Schindler's List is by far his best score. Jurassic Park makes my list, I love that score, Star Wars Ep 4, and Last Crusade.
posted 06-02-1999 10:59 AM PT (US)

Bradley Oscar® Winner	Very tough question indeed, but here goes!!! 1. The Empire Strikes Back 2. Raiders of the Lost Ark 3. E.T. 4. Star Wars 5. Superman 6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 7. Hook 8. Jurassic Park 9. Schindler's List 10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
posted 06-02-1999 12:13 PM PT (US)

SFT Oscar® Winner	My favorite Williams score is Star Wars: A New Hope. SFT
posted 06-02-1999 12:24 PM PT (US)

James Oscar® Winner	Tough one... lots of great music... 1. Jurassic Park 2. Empire Strikes Back 3. Superman 4. E.T. 5. Hook 6. The Phantom Menace 7. Star Wars (Episode 4) 8. Schindler's List 9. The Lost World: Jurassic Park 10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Question: Has anyone here heard William's "The Cowboys"? How is it? James NP - some Handel music ****
posted 06-02-1999 02:44 PM PT (US)

Gae Oscar® Winner	I think all my favourites are mentioned above. I also really like "The Witches of Eastwick", "Jaws I and II" and "Dracula". Seeing as most of the popular scores are listed above how about mentioning specific favourite tracks? Top tracks are the following Adventure's on Earth "E.T." The Ride Home,The Destruction of Darryl- Witches of Eastwick" Chrissie's Death,One Barrel Chase,Out to sea,"Jaws" The Orca, Kite Sequence,Attack on the Water Ski-er--"Jaws II" Rescue of the Princess,Burning Homestead,Final Battle,Throne Room- "Star Wars" Battle of Hoth music, The Magic Tree,Asteroid Field--"Empire Strikes Back" Return of the Jedi, The Emperor's Death, "Return of the Jedi" Desert Chase, The Miracle of the Ark "Raiders of the Lost Ark" Thats about it.I can think of dozens of others but its late and I cant be bothered to go and find the names of the tracks. Gae NP Dracula(Kilar not Williams)
posted 06-02-1999 04:17 PM PT (US)

Norman McCay Oscar® Winner	1. The Phantom Menace Superman Star Wars (All Three) Raiders of the Last Ark No particular order for the rest....But then again, I haven't heard of too many of Williams' scores. I am an amateur listener who only listens to scores to movies that I really liked.
posted 06-02-1999 04:36 PM PT (US)

S Smith unregistered	James, The only part of "Cowboys" that I've heard is the 9 minute overture that's on the Williams' "By Request..." CD. I wish I could get the whole score. Just the overture itself is great. I realize it's not a "score," but the other night I broke out the "Summon the Heroes" CD from the '96 Olympics. The title cut is excellent, and it also includes "Olympic Spirit" from either the '88 or '92 Olympics (I think '88). That's a great cut too.
posted 06-02-1999 09:57 PM PT (US)

Aaron Collins Oscar® Winner	In reply to the question about Cowboys. I have 2 cd's with the overture on it and I have the score. I really enjoy this score. It is very exciting and it has a lot of great horn stuff! I recommend this to anyone! It is great fun! Aaron NP: The London Horn Sound
posted 06-03-1999 09:30 AM PT (US)

Steve Hughes Oscar® Winner	Empire Strikes Back is my fave. We all have our favourites but IMO Williams is THE BEST.
posted 06-03-1999 10:02 AM PT (US)

Floyd Pepper Oscar® Winner	Let me try... 1. Star Wars / Empire Strikes Back / Return Of The Jedi (I take these as one big piece of master-work, but Empire I love most; by the way: Episode 1 was almost a disaster to my mind, not the right Star Wars feeling, not as coherent as Empire and only a mixture of McNeely's Shadows of the Empire and something else I do not remember...) 2. Raiders / Temple / Last Crusade (Temple of Doom takes the lead...) 3. Jaws 4. Superman 5. ET 6. Hook 7. Schindler's List 8. Close Encounters 9. Jurassic Park (definitely NOT: Lost World!) 10. Empire of the Sun as it seems it's always the same scores that are mentioned. when I first heard it, I was quite surprised by SLEEPERS, which had a sound I did not expect from Williams. Have you any idea if Williams has also written some beat-like scores??? (please tell me if you know)
posted 06-07-1999 05:27 AM PT (US)

Aaron Collins Oscar® Winner	Floyd, What do you mean by beat-like scores? Aaron NP: The Phantom Menace
posted 06-07-1999 12:29 PM PT (US)

Floyd Pepper Oscar® Winner	Aaron, most scores of Williams I know have been composed in Wagnerian style, but THE EIGER SANCTION contains one or two pieces that are quite different, sounding like the beat of the 60s and 70s (EIGER SANCTION was in the 70s, I think, John Barry has written lots of cues in this style (e.g. THE PERSUADERS, THE KNACK, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, BEAT FOR BEATNICKS etc... what I'd like to know is where Williams left the path of big symphonic style and produced some quite un-Williamsian music... (sorry, if this sounds strange, but somehow my vocabulary leaves me here...)
posted 06-08-1999 05:11 AM PT (US)

Scott Oscar® Winner	Floyd, Williams' style slowly evolved starting IMHO with the Accidental Tourist. Other scores you may want to check out. Stanley and Iris ( a small very beautiful score) Presumed Innocent (very much in the direction of Sleepers) Nixon (very complex score, could be hard to listen to although I love it and consider it the best score of that year). Other Eiger Sanction kinda scores: Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, Poseidon Advernture. Scott
posted 01-15-2000 09:53 PM PT (US)

Dr.Evil Oscar® Winner	Well, IMHO, take out Earthquake and Cinderela's Liberty, (not my kind of music), the reast is pure genious.
posted 01-16-2000 10:37 AM PT (US)

Aaron Hose Oscar® Winner	I agree with Matt. Schindler's List and JP are my two faves of his, with Sabrina and Superman closely following. - A.
posted 01-16-2000 12:31 PM PT (US)

spango Oscar® Winner	undoubtedly THE FURY and SUPERMAN `sorry for ignoring the Spielberg-Williams collaboration -spango
posted 01-17-2000 04:24 PM PT (US)

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